DIY

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but YouTube is the mother of Do-It-Yourself. I recently used that wonderful web tool to save at least $750 by replacing a simple LED board on my 14-year-old X3.

       I noticed that 2 linear running lights were out on the tailgate of my vehicle. The backup and brake lights in the assembly were still working fine so no legal issue but wanted to get it fixed. First step was to call the BMW dealer I use for service to find out how much it would cost to replace the part. Being a German company, the component is not available separately and the entire assembly cost $434, not including labor to install. OUCH!

       Next step was a Google search on the issue. That showed it was a small LED board about the size of my thumb that went bad. So much for the lifetime expected life of that part. On to YouTube to find videos on replacing that part. I found 2 good videos. When the guy in the first video I watched opened the tailgate of his vehicle there was a disc golf bag and several discs visible and that made me immediately less apprehensive about the job. Even a disc golfer can do it!

       He quickly and clearly performed the removal of the assembly, showed the replacement part, installed it and replaced the assembly. Only 1 clip holding it in so pretty easy. I watched another video that was more detailed and decided that I could do the job myself. Worst case is I would have to buy a whole new assembly plus board and bulbs. The board by itself was $13 and the whole package was available on Amazon for less than $150 so I’d still be way ahead of the game.

      Wanting another brain involved as it was my first foray into such work, I enlisted a friend with more experience in this type of thing. We encountered 2 minor issues. First, there was an extra tab holding the assembly to the tailgate (videos were of 2013 X3’s). A simple tap with the handle of a screwdriver popped that tab with no damage. The second issue was that the new board was thinner than the original and the tabs holding the original in place had to be broken off to get the board out (nice try BMW to discourage DIY). My friend quickly made a couple of shims from a thin plastic lid he had on his workbench that set the board firmly in place. A couple of pieces of electrical tap (per the videos) ensured it wouldn’t slip out. It took us all of 20 minutes to complete the job. Thanks, YouTube, and Felix!

      Saving a bunch of money is a huge driver of DIY projects and YouTube has made it possible for non-handyman types like me to tackle many jobs. A lot of friends are doing the same with their vehicles, homes, yards, etc. It takes confidence, and the common sense to understand when a project is beyond our capabilities and requires experienced help or to bite the bullet and pay a professional to do it.

I learned I can handle stuff I never thought about doing before and in this case, I learned a few tricks to make the job easier and the result better. That being said, I know my limitations and will keep my DIY work in the realm that I am comfortable with. But YouTube and friends willing to help have expanded that comfort zone. The lesson here is don’t be afraid to tackle that job as long as it’s within your capabilities, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

www.RetiredandInspiredat55.com  03-09-2026